does anyone here eat their exercise calories?

theblondetrick
theblondetrick Posts: 192 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i've only started my diet yesterday and i eat my exercise calories.i sort of exercise to be able to eat more,because i don't feel like 1200 calories is enough for me.at least not for now.but,i've seen that many people here don't eat their exercise calories.am i gonna lose weight if i keep on going like this?
«1

Replies

  • panda4153
    panda4153 Posts: 417 Member
    This is a common question here on MFP, and you will get a lot of different answers. I eat back all of my excersise calories, because that works for me, I still lose weight and I feel like I am eating enough food. I like to eat :o). However, everyone is different and your body may react differently. So track your progress and see how things go. If you are losing while eating them back great, keep eating them back. If you are not losing then stop eating them back an see if that works. I have lost 44 lbs so far eating them back. The way MFP works is that it sets you at a calorie deficit without excersise. So you enter how much you want to lose each week, your activity level and it says if youe at (fill in the blank) amount of calories you will lose at that rate. If you do not eat back exersise calories your deficit will be larger so you may lose faster, but keep and eye on your health. If you eat them back you still lose at that rate because it was calculated before you did any exercise. I hope this makes sense, and I wish you success on your journey.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    every single one of them
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Yes.

    And 1200 might not be the best base level for you anyway. If you are hungry, set it higher. Set your goal a pound a week.
  • MaggiePuccini
    MaggiePuccini Posts: 248 Member
    I have to eat some of them back yeah. Most nights even though I really tried to stay under 1200, i am at about 1300. But I usually try to have at least a 100 cal deficit.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Yes.

    And 1200 might not be the best base level for you anyway. If you are hungry, set it higher. Set your goal a pound a week.

    This.

    And yes I do, and here's why: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore
  • _Shelley_
    _Shelley_ Posts: 206
    I always try and reach between 1200-1300 net calories. Women need at least 1200 and men 1800.

    It all depends on how I'm feeling as well. If I'm hungry, I eat. If I'm not, then I don't. Listen to your body.
  • theblondetrick
    theblondetrick Posts: 192 Member
    thank you guys!
  • farmerstan
    farmerstan Posts: 18
    The main thing I have noticed about not eating back your work out calories is that its takes forever to rebuild after an injury or major muscle wear. So I guess if you are not to active its not a big deal but if you are active its a must.
  • mcsaxangel
    mcsaxangel Posts: 3
    I actually do the same thing. Especially if I go over for that day then I will exercise just so I can eat more. I don't know if it is the best way to go about it but I like this system than some sites which separates your caloric intake from the calories you burn.
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    The main thing I have noticed about not eating back your work out calories is that its takes forever to rebuild after an injury or major muscle wear. So I guess if you are not to active its not a big deal but if you are active its a must.

    I cannot second this enough. When I don't eat back my exercise cals- my workouts suffer and I feel sleepy, worn down and have a shorter temper.

    When I eat my calories back I can workout longer and harder, have tons more energy- it's night and day.

    So maybe if someone is just dieting and doesn't really workout much- it's not a big deal. I work out HARD and need that recovery!
  • Brandie1029
    Brandie1029 Posts: 183 Member
    I eat at least half.
  • raevynn
    raevynn Posts: 666 Member
    I eat at least half.
    This. I try to not go below 1800 net calories, and not over 2000.

    It is working for me.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    I don't because I don't think I could stomach to eat that many. If I felt hungry however, I would for sure. On the plus side, I've lost 10 lbs since Christmas.
  • Kassieisproud
    Kassieisproud Posts: 149
    Im not going to lie i love my Food so yeah even when i plan out my day and i have a lot left I usually end up eating most of them back However keep in mind not every calorie is built the same some will make you fuller than others Some like junk food can even make you hungry So try to eat as healthy as you can
  • Hairhacker
    Hairhacker Posts: 174 Member
    That is WHY I exercise...to be able to eat more!! Works for me!! :tongue:
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    I do. Every single last glorious one of them.
  • TexNut
    TexNut Posts: 53
    The main thing I have noticed about not eating back your work out calories is that its takes forever to rebuild after an injury or major muscle wear. So I guess if you are not to active its not a big deal but if you are active its a must.

    I cannot second this enough. When I don't eat back my exercise cals- my workouts suffer and I feel sleepy, worn down and have a shorter temper.

    When I eat my calories back I can workout longer and harder, have tons more energy- it's night and day.

    So maybe if someone is just dieting and doesn't really workout much- it's not a big deal. I work out HARD and need that recovery!

    I concur! I must also confess that I didn't understand the phrase "eating back my workout calories" when I first heard it. I've never looked at it that way; instead, I figure we're ALWAYS eating back the calories we expend through movement...and always burning, too. "Calories-in/-out" is somewhat limiting in that it's caused a lot of people to think "immediate" as opposed to "cumulative". I'm happy that my body has become an efficient machine that requires frequent fuel for its frequent movement!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    The main thing I have noticed about not eating back your work out calories is that its takes forever to rebuild after an injury or major muscle wear. So I guess if you are not to active its not a big deal but if you are active its a must.

    I'm recovering from a stress fracture right now.

    The thing I noticed with eating all the calories is that I was able to take almost a full month off from logging food and most exercise without it having an impact on my weight. Since I never trained my body to survive on 1200 or less, I was able to "coast" for a while. I spent most of January playing video games with my foot propped up, eating pizza and candy bars. And my weight stayed about the same as it did when I was exercising every day and logging every calorie.

    Now that my leg is mostly healed and I'm easing back into a workout routine, I'm logging my food again, but mostly make sure I eat enough and get the right nutrition. I don't worry about overeating.
  • Emilia6909
    Emilia6909 Posts: 309 Member
    I'm never hungry enough to eat them back......
  • jacquismith
    jacquismith Posts: 21 Member
    If I eat my exercise calories I don't lose anything, if I stay within the 1200 limit I don't really lose anything either, I'm at a standstill! :sad:
  • farmerstan
    farmerstan Posts: 18
    But you are building muscle. weight is not the only way to measure progress.
  • 1546mel
    1546mel Posts: 191
    I eat some of them back but shoot to stay under total calories allowed a day by like 200 calories or so, but if i eat them all back i dont sweat it, gotta enjoy some extra food for working out hard :)
  • theblondetrick
    theblondetrick Posts: 192 Member
    If I eat my exercise calories I don't lose anything, if I stay within the 1200 limit I don't really lose anything either, I'm at a standstill! :sad:
    hm,i don't think so.because,if you eat less than 1200 calories there's a chance that you won't be losing any weight because that way you'd be putting yourself in starvation mode.
  • 70davis
    70davis Posts: 348 Member
    I used to not eat them. Wasnt eating enough calories, stopped losing for about 2 months. I finally decided to do more research about starvation mode and metabolism. I uped my calories quiet a bit and have been losing ever since. Good Luck
  • lilfurson
    lilfurson Posts: 190
    Since I have my calories set for Sedentary, over the past week, I have focused on eating back 80-90% of my exercise calories but not the ones that come from my FitBit. Overall it's helped tremendously compared to the weeks before where I felt tired and had hit a plateau.

    I work out 2 times a day and burn between 600-1200 calories a day exercising so I feel I need to eat those back or else my body wouldn't function.
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
    Exercise calories are the best tasting calories.

    With every delicious bite I know I am fueling my body and building glorious lean muscles :)
  • Fitfaery
    Fitfaery Posts: 68 Member
    I always try and reach between 1200-1300 net calories. Women need at least 1200 and men 1800.

    It all depends on how I'm feeling as well. If I'm hungry, I eat. If I'm not, then I don't. Listen to your body.

    Agreed.
  • jenniebean1680
    jenniebean1680 Posts: 350 Member
    All of them!! I agree, 1200 is not enough for me. I'm at 1350 and my nutritionist thinks I may even need to up my net to 1500... Inever stay at my net on recovery (rest) days, either. Id be starving and she says my body needs the nutrients just as much on recovery days in order to reap the benefits of my training.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,861 Member
    Sometimes yes, sometimes no. There is certainly nothing wrong with it.
  • HealthyHappyVegan
    HealthyHappyVegan Posts: 58
    For sure! I love eating them and love looking forward to eating them, haha. It's worked into your settings when you configure your MFP account so you'll still lose weight as long as you're not overestimating the calories burned (a HRM is your best bet)!

Categories